Method of humidifying air



Jim I6, 1925. v 1,542,696

. R. w. HARDIE METHOD OF HUMIDIFYING AIR Filed. 001:; s, 1924 INVENTOR Patented June 16, 1925,

ROBERT W. HARDIE, F FANWOOLD, NEW JERSEY.

w 7 METHOD or HUMIDIFYING- AIR.

Application filed October 8, 1924. Serial No. 742,341.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. ,HAnDrn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Fanwood, in the county of Union and State ofNew Jersey, have invented new and use- ,ful Improvements in Methods of'HumidifyingAir, of which the following is arspecification. V

This invention'relates to methods of in- 10 creasing the relative humidity of an indoor atmosphere, and is especially designed for use in dwellings, apartments, banks, stores, andother buildings ofa similar character.

The relative humidity of an indoor atmosphere can be increased only by the addition thereto of water, in one form or another, generally by absorption, water sprays, steam, or vapor. The present invention relates to a vapor 90 method. I

The term vapor is used herein, in connection with the present invention in the same senseas used by heating engineers generally, that is, steam at about or under eight ounces pressure.

Vapor has heretofore been used as a means for increasing the relative humidity of an indoor atmosphere, and hot air heaters have been provided with a water receptacle arranged within th outer casing of the heater, orgenerator, and in their best forms supplied with an automatic water feed. ,1

hen so 'provided, such heaters are in a considerable extent successful in; use in respect to humidifying effects. Such means,

however, are adapted for use only with hot.

air heaters, and are deficient in that no provision is made, or can be made, forregulat- 4 ing or controlling the amount of vapor discharged into the atmosphere. Effort-s have also been made to supply vapor to an indoor atmosphere by placing a body of water within an open-receptacle and subjecting the water to heat supplied from a steam coil, or chambenplaced with in thereceptacle, and connected w th a' steam or vapor generator, v v Y The use of such means, however, is limited to steam and vapor heating systems, and such means have proved unsuccessful and to a large extent impracticable, for the reason among others, that the amount of vapor discharged from the receptacle can not be regulated and controlled.

This invention has for its main objects, to produce a method of humidifying air that may be readily applied independently of the heating system of a building, that is adapted to generate and discharge vapor in such condition that it may be readily absorbed by and become dift'used into the indoor atmosphere of a building in such a manner as to avoid condensation on objects adjacent the place of discharge, and that is adapted to regulate and control, within vapor limits, the quantity of vapor discharged into an indoor atmosphere during a predetermined period of time.

These' and other objects of the invention hereinafterstated, are accomplished in the manner hereinafter fully described.

In carrying out'the invention, a desired quantity of water is confined within a closed receptacle, and'is converted into vapor by the application of a heating element there-', to.

In order that the'application of the heating element to the water shall produce vaporinstead of steam, the heating element is coordinated with the quantity of water within the receptacle, so that the predetermined maximum feed or supply of the heating element will be suflicient to produce vapor only, and not steam, within the receptacle,

thatis, vapor in the sense of steam at about eight ounce pressure. That is accomplished by regulating or apportioning the quantity of heating element supplied to a given quantity of water so that the maximum quantity of heating element supplied will not heat the water above a temperature of approxi mately 210 F. 1

With the maximum supply of heating element so established and correlated with 95. the constant quantity of Water Within the receptacle, the quantity of vapor produced .ing produced in the; circumstances, or it may be any proportion thereof established as the maximum feed or supply, of: heating element, that can be applied to the water in the receptacle without produclng steam to an objectionabl extent above eight ounce pressure;

After the necessary quantity of heating element has-been coordinated with the supply of water" within the receptacle so as toproduce vapor, that is; steamof about eight ounce pressure, the-vapor 1s dlspersed into the atmosphere by being discharged from the receptacle in jets, spaced ap artor other" distributing means,-. so that it may be'readily: absorbed by theat'mosphere without coirdensingj on objects near the placeof" discharge.

And to aid in enabling the vapor to be readily absorbed by the atmosphere, the

initial pressure' of the va'poris subdued or mufflied so that thevapor will go into the atmosphere inas near as possible atmospheric condition.

The following example will serve: to show how the heatingelement may be coordinated with a constant quantity-of water, so as to' produce'vapor lnstead of'st'eam, uslng: gas

as a heatingelement, andhow the supply of vapor may be'regulatedandcontrolled;

A ssuming thafi it' requires' one thousand heat units to vapo'rizea pint of" water; and

assumiiw'that the "asiused has a value of GOG-B1 T. U. spercubic foot of gas, and that the burnersupplying the gas has a capacity of delivering fifteen cubic; feet of gas an hour, and 'is:operatingunder sixty per cent efficiency, about fifty-nine hundred B; T. U, s, will be supplied per hour t'o'the body of water witliinthewater container, to which the burner is applied, which wouldvaporize" approximately three quarts of water per hour; V

T'o'vaporize' three quarts of water per hour the maximum quantity of heating element applied to thewateri therefore would be the equivalentof gas supplied. by a fif teen foot burner operating under sixty per cent efficiency of the full capacity of the burner.

The quantity of vapor developed within suc'hmaxim'um limit may be varied and con-v trolled by reducing the quantity of" heating element supplied, in this case gas.

And if a burner 1s used having a greater capacity than fifteen feet an hour, the supply of gas to the burner may be reduced to the equivalent of a flow of fifteen cubic feet an hour, and the maximum supply may be established at that point on such a burner by marking the inlet valve of the burner. The marking would then indicate the maximum feed to produce that amount of vapor; and to regulate and control the supply of vaporbelow the absolute maximum limit ofthe burner, or: a setmarking on a larger burner, the supply may be regulated by reducin'g the"supply of gas below said absolute or established maximum, by adjusting the valveconn'ected with the burner.

In estimating the quantity of vapor desired to be discharged into theatmosphere, allowance should be made forrecondensing of p'art of the vapor within the receptacle, especially if no insulating. material surrounds the receptacle, and allowance should also be made for a certain amount of loss; by friction in passing through discharge pipes leading from the receptacle, ifplaced' in the'b'asement of a building, tothe place of discharge. onia floor above.

The vapor. generated should. therefore have sufiicient, initial: pressure to cause the vapor to rise'the height ofionerstory of a building if. the main apparatus is placed in the basement'of 'a building, or suffi'cient pressureto cause the'vap'or to flowlaterally, if the vapor generating apparatus is placed on the same floor as the discharge, as in the case of apartments;

To that endthe vapor generated in the tank or container should be of. a slightly higher pressure than" at the place of discharge into the indoor atmosphere.

The method may be carried out by means of the apparatus illustrated in the acc0mpanying drawing, wherein a tank or container- 1 is shown having a' water inlet pipe 2, conne'cted'with the lower end ofthe tank and" with a water supply receptacle 3, which in turn isconnected with a main water supply pipe 4. p

The end of the supply receptacle 3, is provided with a. water inlet valve of ordinary construction, not shown, which is automatically operated'by the usual float 5.

The tank 1 is mounted upon a base 6, provided with lugs 7, which support the lower end of the tank.

A gas burner is shown supported within the base in close proximity'to the lower head of the tank 1, and is con'nect'edwith a gas inlet pipe 9, which may if'desired be secured to the base 6 by "means of athreaded engagement with a plate 10 attached to said base.

A valve 11 is connected with the inlet pipe 9 so as'to regulate and control the amount or supply of gas deliveredto' the burner 8.

By means of such construction water at a predetermined level and quantity, may be constantly maintained, and automatically supplied within the tank 1, and any'desired amount of gas as a heating element may be applied to the water within the tank by regulating the burner valve accordingly- The upper end of the tank 1 is supplied with one or more dischargeoutlets 12, which are connected with adischarge pipe 13.

The discharge pipe 13 is connected at its upper end with a discharge head 14:, andif desired, an outer shell or tube 15 may be arranged outside the pipe 13, and supported on or connected with a base 16, to give a finished appearance to the discharge head connections.

The discharge head 14; is provided with apertures 17 by means of which the vapor is discharged from the head in the form of jets, spaced apart, and the upper end of the head is provided with a top or cap 18.

If desired, the vapor may be muflled, so as, to further aid in enabling the vapor to be readily absorbed by the atmosphere, as by means of wire mesh 19, placed against the inner wall of the head over the openings 17, and held in place by means of a spring ring 20, bearing against the said wire mesh to hold the mesh in position.

Such inner ring is provided with openings 21 registering with the openings 17 of the discharge head.

In the appartus shown, the vapor generator is designed to be placed in the basement of a building and carried up to the next floor by means of one or more discharge pipes extending upward from the generator.

Where the apparatus is designed for use in apartments, or houses, such as one story houses, the apparatus may be arranged on the same floor as the discharge heads and in such cases the vapor is carried laterally.

If desired, a thermostat may be placed in the water of the tank and connected with the valve controlling the quantity of heating element delivered to the burner and regulated between 210 as the maximum limit and 180.

The valve controlling the gas burner may be itself controlled, if desired, by a thermostatic control placed on the floor where the vapor is delivered into the atmosphere.

The construction of the apparatus shown is no part of the present invention and other means having similar capabilities may be substituted therefor, if desired, especially the means of mufiling the initial pressure of the vapor, so that the vapor may pass gently into the atmosphere.

Having determined the'quantity of heat necessary to produce the maximum quantity of vapor desired, the quantity of water placed in the receptacle is correlated with the maximum quantity of heating element proportions stated will serve for so that the maximum quantity of heating element supplied will heat the water in the receptacle to a temperature slightly below the boiling point-about 210 If the quantity of water is too great, the heating element will be absorbed in merely heating the water instead of producing vapor. of the required kind; and if the quantity of water is too small, the water will boil and produce steam heavily laden with water, and not in a condition to be absorbed by the atmosphere.

I have found that about seven gallons of water cooperating with a fifteen foot gas burner operating under sixty percent efliciency, produces very satisfactory results.

A burner of larger capacity than that actually required might be used for such purpose, but in such cases in order to operate to the best advantage, the valve connected with the burner should be set at an indicated maximum capacity adapted to heat the water to a temperature of 210 F. and so marked, and all adjustments made below that limit.

It should beborne in mind that gas is of different origins and is made of different mixtures, and varies in heat values, but the purposes using manufactured gas. The corresponding value of natural gas may be readily ascertained. I

What I claim as new is: I

1. The method of humidifying air, consisting in maintaining a uniform quantity of water within a closed receptacle, vaporizing said water by the application of a heating element thereto while maintaining the temperature of said water between 180 F. and 212 F., passing the vapor into an auxiliary receptacle, mufliing the vapor so as to substantially remove its initial pressure, and diffusing the vapor into the atmosphere in restricted quantity.

2. The method of humidifying air, consisting in maintaining a uniform quantity of water within a closed receptacle, vaporizing said water by the application of a heating element thereto while maintaining the temperature of said water below 212 F., passing the vapor into an auxiliary receptacle, muffiing the vapor and thereby removing its initial pressure, and diffusing the vapor into the atmosphere by passing it through restricted apertures.

3. The method of humidifying air, consisting in maintaining a uniform quantity of water within a closed container, vaporizing said water by the application of a heating element thereto, regulating the quantity of heating element supplied so as to vary the temperature of said water between ap" proximately 180 F. and 212 F., passing the vapor into an auxiliary receptacle, muffling the vapor to remove its initial presordinary sure, and diffusing; the Vapor into the-atmosphere in restricted l quantity;

4c. The rnethod of humidifying 'air, c0nsisting in maintaining muniform'quantity of'water Within a-c10sed receptacle; Vaporizing'said Waterb'y the application ofa; heating element thereto, regulating the quantity of heatingelment supplied, so as towary the temperature off said water'between approximately 180 F. and 212? F., passing 10 the vapori into'vanauxiliary: receptacle, muf fling thewvztpor to removedtsr initial pres: sure;aand dispersing the vapor into the at mosph'erec ROBERT W. HARDIE, 

